Pardon My Hearse: A Colorful Portrait of Where the Funeral and Entertainment Industries Met in Hollywood by Allan Abbott, Greg Abbott Page A
Authors: Allan Abbott, Greg Abbott
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win the war in Europe. After two months they were finally reunited.
Kathy clearly recalled the many times sirens wailed as they were herded into a train tunnel serving as a bomb shelter. Paul said that the Americans bombed during the day and the British bombed at night. Even though Kathy was barely 4 at the time, she could clearly recall the many hours spent underground until the all-clear siren would sound, and they would come out and see the death and destruction from the bombings.
In wartime Germany, disease was rampant. During my childhood you would often hear the expression, “Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” In the DP camp, biting bugs were not the only problem. Along with malnutrition, there were a number of deadly diseases, so crews would go through the housing quarters spraying disinfectant. As a result of this spraying, Kathy’s sister, Tatiana, died.
German measles was by far one of the worst diseases in the camps. Any children running a temperature were immediately taken from their parents and usually never seen again. One day, Kathy started getting sick and showing signs of a fever. The camp nurse told Vera that she was going to have to take her away, but Vera pleaded with her to wait at least until the following morning. She promised that if Kathy still had a temperature the following day, she would let her go. Vera stayed up the entire night praying that if Kathy’s temperature would just go down, she could get the measles at any other time, just not here and now. Vera kept repeating this prayer over and over, all night long. When the nurse came in the following morning, her daughter’s fever was gone. Kathy did come down with the measles two years later, but by then she was in America.
When the war ended, the DP camps were taken over by American forces that were much more lenient. Kathy and Vera would stand in line day after day, trying to get permission to immigrate to another country. The World Church Organization eventually sponsored the family for passage on a ship to the last place still accepting immigrants, which was America. Kathy was seasick the entire trip, but when they sailed into New York Harbor and got their first look at the Statue of Liberty, it was one of her life’s greatest rewards.
Paul, Vera, and Kathy were processed on Ellis Island. When asked their family name, Paul said “Tzarenko,” from the root word “tsar” or “czar,” the recognized title of Russian emperors who ruled before 1917. (The word “tsar,” in turn, came from the word “caesar.”) Spelling being what it was during this mass influx of foreigners, they were tagged as the Zarenko family. Kathy was only 6 when they arrived in New York, but she had a vivid recollection of something they had eaten there, which was Lipton’s instant chicken soup. She remembered that it was the best thing she had tasted for years, except for the chocolate given to her by American soldiers at the camp.
When Kathy entered Catholic school, she was held back one year because she couldn’t speak English. This school had Dominican nuns asteachers who, fortunately for Kathy, spoke German, which she had picked up in the camps. Kathy met a nice classmate in school, and they became friends. In spite of knowing very little English, Kathy and Sandra Gehl seemed to communicate without much talking, as kids often do. On the first day of school Sandy took Kathy by the hand, got on the school bus, and took Kathy home with her. Sandy’s mother had to call the school to find out where Kathy’s family lived so she could get her safely home. Sandy was eventually one of Kathy’s bridesmaids.
In 1976, we took Kathy’s parents to Yugoslavia and Greece with us. Although many years had passed since the war, you could still feel the tension between the Serbians and the Croatians. Our guide pointed out the large number of old women walking on the streets and highways, dressed all in black. These were the widows of
Kathy clearly recalled the many times sirens wailed as they were herded into a train tunnel serving as a bomb shelter. Paul said that the Americans bombed during the day and the British bombed at night. Even though Kathy was barely 4 at the time, she could clearly recall the many hours spent underground until the all-clear siren would sound, and they would come out and see the death and destruction from the bombings.
In wartime Germany, disease was rampant. During my childhood you would often hear the expression, “Good night, sleep tight, and don’t let the bed bugs bite.” In the DP camp, biting bugs were not the only problem. Along with malnutrition, there were a number of deadly diseases, so crews would go through the housing quarters spraying disinfectant. As a result of this spraying, Kathy’s sister, Tatiana, died.
German measles was by far one of the worst diseases in the camps. Any children running a temperature were immediately taken from their parents and usually never seen again. One day, Kathy started getting sick and showing signs of a fever. The camp nurse told Vera that she was going to have to take her away, but Vera pleaded with her to wait at least until the following morning. She promised that if Kathy still had a temperature the following day, she would let her go. Vera stayed up the entire night praying that if Kathy’s temperature would just go down, she could get the measles at any other time, just not here and now. Vera kept repeating this prayer over and over, all night long. When the nurse came in the following morning, her daughter’s fever was gone. Kathy did come down with the measles two years later, but by then she was in America.
When the war ended, the DP camps were taken over by American forces that were much more lenient. Kathy and Vera would stand in line day after day, trying to get permission to immigrate to another country. The World Church Organization eventually sponsored the family for passage on a ship to the last place still accepting immigrants, which was America. Kathy was seasick the entire trip, but when they sailed into New York Harbor and got their first look at the Statue of Liberty, it was one of her life’s greatest rewards.
Paul, Vera, and Kathy were processed on Ellis Island. When asked their family name, Paul said “Tzarenko,” from the root word “tsar” or “czar,” the recognized title of Russian emperors who ruled before 1917. (The word “tsar,” in turn, came from the word “caesar.”) Spelling being what it was during this mass influx of foreigners, they were tagged as the Zarenko family. Kathy was only 6 when they arrived in New York, but she had a vivid recollection of something they had eaten there, which was Lipton’s instant chicken soup. She remembered that it was the best thing she had tasted for years, except for the chocolate given to her by American soldiers at the camp.
When Kathy entered Catholic school, she was held back one year because she couldn’t speak English. This school had Dominican nuns asteachers who, fortunately for Kathy, spoke German, which she had picked up in the camps. Kathy met a nice classmate in school, and they became friends. In spite of knowing very little English, Kathy and Sandra Gehl seemed to communicate without much talking, as kids often do. On the first day of school Sandy took Kathy by the hand, got on the school bus, and took Kathy home with her. Sandy’s mother had to call the school to find out where Kathy’s family lived so she could get her safely home. Sandy was eventually one of Kathy’s bridesmaids.
In 1976, we took Kathy’s parents to Yugoslavia and Greece with us. Although many years had passed since the war, you could still feel the tension between the Serbians and the Croatians. Our guide pointed out the large number of old women walking on the streets and highways, dressed all in black. These were the widows of
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